Gaza City, November 22: Israeli forces have advanced several hundred metres beyond a designated ceasefire boundary in eastern Gaza City, trapping families and intensifying fears of renewed widespread fighting, Palestinian officials said on Thursday.
Gaza’s Government Media Office said troops and tanks had moved about 300 metres past the so-called “yellow line”, a boundary agreed in a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. It said dozens of families in northern Gaza were now “besieged” and unreachable amid continuing shelling.
“The fate of many of these families remains unknown,” the media office said, calling the Israeli movement a “blatant disregard” for the truce. Israel has not publicly commented on the reports.
The yellow line marks areas where Israeli forces were meant to remain after repositioning when the ceasefire came into effect last month. Residents say much of the boundary remains unmarked, leaving civilians uncertain about where they can safely move.
Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza City reported Israeli troops placing yellow blocks and signs in parts of the eastern Shujayea neighbourhood, but said many Palestinians were unaware of the precise limits. “People say this is a cage, as they’re being pushed and squeezed into the western parts of Gaza,” one reporter said.
The reported advance comes amid a surge in Israeli attacks across the enclave. Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 32 Palestinians were killed and 88 wounded in the past 24 hours. Medics said an Israeli air strike on a home in Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis, killed three people, including a baby girl, and wounded 15 others.
An analysis by Al Jazeera estimates that Israel has violated the ceasefire nearly 400 times since it took effect on Oct. 10.
Displaced residents described worsening conditions as shelters overflow and basic necessities remain scarce. “We are still living in tents. The cities are rubble, the crossings are still closed, and all the basic necessities of life are still lacking,” said Mohammed Hamdouna, 36.
Lina Kuraz, 33, from Tuffah in eastern Gaza City, said the bombardments have shattered any fragile sense of calm. “Every time we try to regain hope, the shelling starts again,” she said. “When will this nightmare end?”
